U.S. Energy Firms Return to Syria as Trump Revokes Sanctions
Damascus | 21 July 2025 - In a stunning pivot in Middle East policy, the United States has lifted longstanding economic sanctions on Syria—reopening the door for American companies to participate in the country’s energy reconstruction efforts. The move, formalized through Executive Order 14312, was signed by President Donald J. Trump on 30 June 2025, effectively terminating over two decades of financial restrictions on the Syrian Arab Republic.
The order revokes six prior presidential directives—including Executive Orders 13338, 13399, 13460, 13572, 13573, and 13582—and formally ends the national emergency first declared with respect to Syria in 2004. A White House statement emphasized that sanctions targeting President Bashar al-Assad, his inner circle, and designated entities accused of terrorism and human rights abuses will remain in effect.
Within weeks of the rollback, a new trajectory for Syrian energy is being charted, involving with a high-profile delegation of U.S. energy firms—including Baker Hughes, Hunt Energy, and Argent LNG—traveled to Damascus to initiate talks on a strategic plan for revitalizing Syria’s oil, gas, and power sectors. The group was received by Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh, who described the visit as a signal of growing commercial confidence in Syria’s recovery trajectory.
According to Argent LNG CEO Jonathan Bass, the consortium will contribute to a national energy masterplan, starting with feasibility assessments for oil field rehabilitation and power generation upgrades across western Syria. Syria’s pre-war electricity capacity stood at 9.5 gigawatts, but today, barely 1.6 GW is online.
The re-entry of U.S. firms comes against the backdrop of broader Gulf interest in Syria’s post-war reconstruction. In May 2025, Qatar’s UCC Holding signed a $7 billion MoU to provide gas turbines and solar solutions to the country’s dilapidated energy infrastructure. The arrival of American companies now expands that momentum to include Western capital and technology.
Still, Syria’s path to recovery is far from guaranteed. Just days before the American delegation’s meetings in Damascus, Israeli airstrikes hit targets in the capital, while sectarian clashes in Sweida Province claimed hundreds of lives—underscoring persistent security risks. Meanwhile, although the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) confirmed the delisting of over 500 individuals and entities under the new policy, it emphasized that sanctions tied to the Caesar Act and related statutes remain in effect, limiting the scope of re-engagement for many potential investors.
Despite these risks, the latest moves signal a potential inflection point for Syria’s economic reintegration. For the energy sector in particular, the twin entry of Gulf and American players could restore critical capacity to a country once central to Levantine oil routes and power exchanges.
With feasibility work underway and diplomatic calculations rapidly shifting, all eyes are now on whether policy stability—and security—can hold long enough to translate intent into investment.
